JP4202711B2 - Linear switch - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a linear switch that can be used in an input unit of an information terminal device such as a mobile phone, a PDA, or a digital camera, or an electronic device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Various switches are provided in input units of information terminal devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, and digital cameras, and electronic devices. Among them, as a switch used for continuously changing the output such as scrolling the display screen, adjusting the volume, changing the zoom magnification, etc., the push button switch, jog dial, and knob are moved in parallel. A volume switch is known.
[0003]
The following patent documents are known as an example of such a switch.
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-150894 A
[Patent Document 2]
JP 2002-150891 A
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when performing an operation that gives a continuous change with the pushbutton switch, it is necessary to continue to push the pushbutton switch, and the scroll screen advances even if the press is stopped at the moment when the output desired by the operator is obtained. There is a problem of operability, such as when the zoom magnification is increased and when the zoom magnification is decreased, and another pushbutton switch operation is required, and fine adjustment is difficult. In addition, the jog dial requires a small amount of output per operation and requires repeated operation to obtain continuous output, and the volume switch that translates the knob uses mechanical parts, which must be accompanied by operational resistance and touch. It has been difficult to improve the input so that it can be input with a light touch. The problem that applies to any of these switches is that it is difficult to meet the demand for further miniaturization of equipment because of its three-dimensional size due to its structure.
[0005]
The present invention has been made against the background of the prior art as described above. The object of the present invention is to operate a continuous change, and an operation switch capable of responding to a request for further miniaturization of equipment. It is to provide.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
That is, the present invention provides a lower insulating sheet in which a plurality of lower contacts are arranged in a row along the length direction, an upper insulating sheet in which upper contacts corresponding to the respective lower contacts are arranged in a row in the length direction, and an upper insulation. A spacer interposed between the sheet and the lower insulating sheet and electrically separating the upper contact and the lower contact in an electrically insulated state, and pressing the upper insulating sheet along the arrangement direction of the contacts, Provided is a linear switch in which a contact and a lower contact are sequentially contacted to generate a continuous change as an output of a predetermined device.
[0007]
According to this linear switch, a lower insulating sheet in which a plurality of lower contacts are arranged in a row along the length direction and an upper contact corresponding to each lower contact are arranged in a row in the same switch. Since it has an upper insulating sheet and a spacer that is interposed between the upper insulating sheet and the lower insulating sheet and electrically separates the upper contact and the lower contact in an electrically insulated state, it can be operated with a light stroke with a finger. Continuous changes can be generated. In particular, since the upper contacts and the lower contacts corresponding to the upper contacts are arranged in a row, it is possible to sensuously obtain the output amount from the operation width by operating the line so as to trace with a finger. Therefore, it is excellent in operability without erroneous operation such as excessive pressing.
[0008]
The linear switch of the present invention which performs contact input by such a series of operations is to “arrange” a plurality of upper contacts and a plurality of lower contacts. The “row” here is, for example, a plurality of upper contacts. This is a concept that includes not only the case where the wires are arranged linearly on the upper insulating sheet, but also the case where they are arranged in an arc shape or in an arc shape having one or more corners. In order to equip the device with this, the length direction along the arrangement direction of the contacts, that is, the operation direction, may match any of the vertical direction, the left-right direction, and the diagonal direction of the device.
[0009]
Further, in the present invention, an accommodation opening for the upper contact and the lower contact may be provided in a spacer interposed between the upper insulating sheet and the lower insulating sheet and electrically separating the upper contact and the lower contact in an electrically insulated state. it can.
[0010]
According to the linear switch having this spacer, since the upper contact and the lower contact are placed in the accommodation opening, it is possible to continuously press each of a plurality of contacts arranged adjacent to each other. The insulating sheet is bent, and a continuous output following this bending can be obtained. Moreover, it is possible to input so that it can be stroked with a light touch at the time of pressing operation.
[0011]
As such a spacer, a ring shape that surrounds a plurality of upper contacts, etc. from the outside, and a shape in which the inside of the ring is an accommodation opening is preferable in terms of dust and waterproofing, but it is not necessarily an endless ring shape. It may be in a form that is partially lacking. The accommodation opening in this case refers to an in-ring portion formed by a spacer other than the lacking portion.
[0012]
And about this invention, it can be set as the linear switch which provided the isolation | separation part which isolate | separates the mutually adjacent upper contacts and lower contacts in the accommodation opening in the spacer.
[0013]
According to this, a short circuit due to contact between adjacent contacts can be prevented by the separation portion, and malfunction can be prevented. In addition, the contact does not short-circuit even if the upper insulating sheet becomes slack with time.
[0014]
Moreover, this invention provides the linear switch which provided the press protrusion which contacts the upper surface part on the opposite side to the upper contact in an upper insulating sheet above an upper insulating sheet.
[0015]
According to this linear switch, the pressing protrusion that contacts the upper surface portion of the upper insulating sheet opposite to the upper contact is provided above the upper insulating sheet, so that the pressing force can be concentrated on the pressing protrusion, and surely. A predetermined upper contact and lower contact can be brought into contact with each other.
[0016]
In the present invention, if the pressing end of the pressing protrusion is formed to have a smaller area than the upper contact, the pressing force is locally concentrated and applied to the upper contact. Compared to, the contact can be reliably turned on with a low load.
[0017]
In addition, if the boundary surface between the pressing protrusion and the upper insulating sheet is formed to have a smaller area than the upper contact, the contact can be turned on with a low load, and the chance that the adjacent contact is short-circuited can be reduced. For example, if the area of the boundary between the pressing protrusion provided corresponding to one upper contact and the upper insulating sheet (the base end of the pressing protrusion) is large, the intended contact is turned on compared to the case where the area is small. At this time, the area of the upper insulating sheet to be bent increases, and the load required for the pressing operation increases. In addition, the area of the upper insulating sheet that is deflected by being dragged by the pressing operation is increased, and the possibility that the adjacent upper and lower contacts come into contact with each other by mistake increases. That is, according to the present invention, since the boundary surface between the pressing protrusions per upper insulating sheet and the upper insulating sheet is small, the bending area of the upper insulating sheet can be reduced by the pressing operation. Contact conduction can be suppressed. Further, by forming the boundary surface of the pressing protrusion with the upper insulating sheet as a smaller area than the upper contact, even if it is pressed at a position shifted from the center of the upper and lower contacts, the adjacent contact portion The upper insulating sheet is hardly pulled and bent, and operation failure is unlikely to occur.
[0018]
Furthermore, in the present invention, a linear switch in which a plurality of pressing protrusions are provided for one upper contact and each pressing protrusion is arranged along the arrangement direction of the upper contacts can be provided.
[0019]
When the pressing protrusions are arranged in this way, the plurality of pressing protrusions individually follow the pressing operation and press the upper contact, thereby improving the contact followability of the upper and lower contacts with respect to the pressing operation. Therefore, a continuous output can be obtained by a stroking operation. Even when the pressing direction is oblique with respect to the contact / separation direction of the upper and lower contacts, the contact of the upper and lower contacts with respect to the pressing operation is good, so that the contacts are reliably turned on and the operability is improved. Even when a linear switch is mounted on a curved housing of a device, the pressing protrusions are divided into a plurality of parts, so that the individual pressing protrusions are arranged following the shape of the curve. It is hard to cause contact short circuit. Further, each adjacent contact can be turned on / off continuously with a small load value, and a continuous output can be obtained with a light touch.
[0020]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A linear switch according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0021]
FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a linear switch 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the linear switch 1. FIG. The linear switch 1 includes a base 2 (FIG. 3) that performs a predetermined switch function by connecting an upper contact and a lower contact that are kept in an electrically insulated state, and a push from a finger or the like to the base 2. It is formed from the press part 3 (FIG. 3) which transmits a pressure. The pressing portion 3 is equipped so as to be exposed from the housing 9 of an electronic device (not shown).
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the base 2 is formed in the form of an elongated substantially strip-shaped lower insulating sheet 4, a rectangular annular lower spacer 5, and an elongated, approximately strip-shaped, in order from the side that fits inside the electronic device. The upper insulating sheet 6 is laminated. On the other hand, the pressing portion 3 is configured by laminating an upper spacer 7 having a rectangular ring shape on an upper layer of the upper insulating sheet 6 and an operation sheet 8 having an elongated and substantially strip shape in order.
[0023]
That is, the base 2 includes a lower insulating sheet 4 in which a plurality of lower contacts 10 are arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction, and an upper insulating sheet 6 in which upper contacts 11 corresponding to the respective lower contacts 10 are arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction. The upper insulating sheet 6 and the lower insulating sheet 4 are interposed between the upper contact 11 and the lower contact 10 so as to separate the upper contact 11 and the lower contact 10 in an electrically insulated state. On the other hand, the pressing portion 3 is in contact with the upper surface portion of the upper insulating sheet 6 opposite to the upper contact 11, and is formed with a pressing protrusion 12 that presses the upper contact 11, and is operated to receive a pressing operation with a finger or the like. The sheet 8 is integrated with the upper insulating sheet 6 through the upper spacer 7.
[0024]
On the upper surface of the lower insulating sheet 4 constituting the base portion 2, a switch circuit 13 is formed by printing to connect a plurality of lower contacts 10 arranged in a straight line and connectors (not shown). Further, on the lower surface of the upper insulating sheet 6, upper contacts 11 arranged in a straight line so as to face the lower contacts 10 are formed by printing. Conductive carbon ink or the like is used for the lower contact 10, the upper contact 11, and the switch circuit 13. If the lower contact 10 and the upper contact 11 are brought into contact and conducted, the potential difference between the lower contact 10 and the upper contact 11 changes, and this change is detected by a CPU or the like provided in the device as a switch input. The lower spacer 5 holding the upper insulating sheet 6 and the lower insulating sheet 4 is opened in the pressing operation direction, and a plurality of upper contacts 10 and lower contacts 11 are arranged in one receiving opening 5a having no partition wall. . That is, the lower spacer 5 includes a plurality of lower contacts 10 and an upper contact 11 facing the lower contacts, and separates the upper and lower contacts adjacent to each other in the accommodation opening 5a. There is no separation.
[0025]
As the lower insulating sheet 4, a resin sheet can be used. For example, a sheet made of each resin such as polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyurethane, polyamide, polypropylene, polystyrene, fluororesin, ionomer, polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride or the like is used. Can be used. On the other hand, the upper insulating sheet 6 needs to be rigid enough to hold the upper contact 11 so that the upper contact 11 does not come into contact with the lower contact 10 when no operation is performed. 11 and the lower contact 10 are required to be flexible enough to be bent. The upper insulating sheet 6 can be made of the same resin as the lower insulating sheet 4. The lower spacer 5 needs to have rigidity and insulation that can hold the upper insulating sheet 6 on the lower insulating sheet 4. For the lower spacer 5, in addition to various resins, a double-sided tape pre-attached with an adhesive or an adhesive for bonding the upper insulating sheet 6 and the lower insulating sheet 4 can also be used. Further, if the thickness is too thin, the contact is likely to short (the phenomenon that the upper contact 11 and the lower contact 10 contact each other unintentionally), and if it is too thick, the ON load necessary to bring the lower contact 10 and the upper contact 11 into contact with each other is increased. Larger and heavier to operate.
[0026]
Since the operation sheet 8 constituting the pressing unit 3 carries a plurality of pressing protrusions 12 and is coupled to the upper insulating sheet 6 via the upper spacer 7, the pressing protrusions 12 are not connected to the upper insulating sheet when no operation is performed. A material that is flexible enough to bend to such an extent that the pressing protrusion 12 presses the upper insulating sheet 6 is required. The operation sheet 8 can also be a resin sheet similar to that used for the insulating sheets 4 and 6.
[0027]
The pressing protrusion 12 formed on the operation sheet 8 is above the upper insulating sheet 6 and is in contact with the upper surface portion of the upper insulating sheet 6 opposite to the upper contact 11. The portion 12 a is formed as an area smaller than the upper contact 11. A plurality of pressing protrusions 12 (three in this embodiment) are provided for each upper contact 11, and each pressing protrusion 12 is arranged along the arrangement direction of the upper contacts 11. The pressing protrusion 12 can be formed of plastic or rubber. The upper spacer 7 has rigidity capable of holding the operation sheet 8 on the upper insulating sheet 6. On the other hand, if the thickness is too thin, the pressing protrusion 12 is likely to come into contact with the upper insulating sheet 6, and if it is too thick, the ON load increases and the operation becomes heavy. The operation sheet 8 is provided with a key top (not shown) made of a material that does not spread a pressing force of a finger or the like according to the installation state of the linear switch 1 and is easy to be transmitted to the operation sheet 8, characters, symbols, etc. It is also possible to provide a display unit (not shown). The pressing protrusion 12 can be formed on the operation sheet 8 by applying a resin or the like to be the pressing protrusion 12 with a dispenser or printing using a screen printing method or a PAD printing method.
[0028]
Next, the operation of the linear switch 1 will be described.
[0029]
4 to 7 sequentially show the state in which the upper contact 11 receives the pressing force and the lower contact 10 and the switch function is exerted by tracing the upper surface of the linear switch 1 from left to right with a finger or the like. This is a schematic representation. In order to distinguish the individual contacts and the pressing protrusions of the plurality of upper contacts 11, the plurality of lower contacts 10, and the plurality of pressing protrusions 12, the first upper contact 11A and the second upper contact 11B in order from the left side of the drawing for the sake of convenience. The third upper contact 11C, the fourth upper contact 11D, and the fifth upper contact 11E are denoted by reference numerals 10A to 10E as the first to fifth lower contacts, which are opposed to the upper contacts 11A to 11E. Moreover, the press protrusion 12 which presses each upper contact 11A-11E is each represented by the codes | symbols 12A-12E as a 1st-5th press protrusion (refer FIG. 3).
[0030]
As shown by the arrows in FIG. 4, first, when the central pressing protrusion portion of the first pressing protrusion 12A is pressed with a finger or the like on the left side of the linear switch 1, the first upper contact 11A and the first lower contact 10A come into contact with each other. The first lower contact 10A is paired with the opposing first upper contact 10A to exhibit an on / off switch function, and this switch is turned on.
[0031]
Next, when the finger is moved lightly to the right as it is, the pressing protrusions 12 closest to the pressed part following the movement of the finger successively press the upper contact 11 at the lower part. Then, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 5, when the left pressing protrusion portion of the second pressing protrusion 12B is pressed, the left end portion of the second upper contact 11B at the lower portion is pressed most, and the second lower portion facing the second lower protrusion The contact 10B is brought into contact and conducted. In this case, the switch composed of the first lower contact 10A and the first upper contact 11A is turned off, and the switch composed of the second lower contact 10B and the second upper contact 11B is turned on instead.
[0032]
Further, the finger is moved slightly to the right as it is, and as shown by the arrow in FIG. 6, even if the portion corresponding to the right end portion of the second upper contact 11B is pressed, the right pressing of the second pressing protrusion 12B Since the protrusion steadily presses the second upper contact 11B, the protrusion is brought into contact with the second lower contact 10B and the conduction is maintained. Even in this case, only the switch constituted by the second upper contact 11B and the second upper contact 10B is turned ON.
[0033]
Subsequently, the finger or the like is further moved slightly to the right, and as shown by the arrow in FIG. 7, if the finger moves to the place where the central portion of the third upper contact 11C is pressed, the third pressing protrusion 12C The central pressing protrusion steadily presses the third upper contact 11C and comes into contact with the lower third contact 10C underneath. In this state, only the switch constituted by the third upper contact 11C and the third lower contact 10C is turned on, and the other switches are turned off.
[0034]
In this way, a series of operations such as stroking with a light touch can turn on / off the switches composed of a plurality of adjacent contacts one after another, and this on / off information is transmitted to the device in which the linear switch 1 is built. By processing with a control device such as a CPU, it can be output as a continuous output value. As a specific application, for example, if it is built in a digital camera, it can be a zoom switch that changes the size of the subject with a light touch operation, and if it is built in a portable CD / MD player, the volume can be changed with a light touch operation. Can be used as a volume switch that can be operated, or as a control switch that performs a song feed operation and a fast-forward operation.
[0035]
In the present embodiment, five contact points 10 and 11 are provided in the accommodation opening 5a of the lower spacer 5. However, malfunction of adjacent contacts (electrodes) and sagging of the upper insulating sheet 6 over time are prevented. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, it is possible to provide fewer contacts 10 and 11 in the housing opening 5a while maintaining the size of the housing opening 5a of the lower spacer 5, or FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, a spacer 32 b that separates the upper contacts 11 and the lower contacts 10 adjacent to each other may be provided in the spacer 32 in the accommodation opening 32 a of the lower spacer 32. As shown in FIG. 9, the separation portion 32 b is formed by making the appearance of the spacer 32 a ladder shape, or as shown in FIG. 10, applying a resin ink or the like on the lower insulating sheet 4 with a dispenser, It can also be formed as a dot spacer 4 a that protrudes higher than the lower contact 10 on the lower insulating sheet 4 by using a printing method or a PAD printing method. However, when each of the contacts 10 and 11 is partitioned by the separation portion 32b, a tactile sensation in which the fingertip hits the separation portion 32b may be generated during the pressing operation. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, it is possible to eliminate the tactile sensation of abutment by providing an elastic key top 52 on the upper portion of the operation sheet 8.
[0036]
Furthermore, when the center part of each adjacent contact 10 and 11 is pressed, each contact 10 and 11 is arrange | positioned so that the adjacent contact 10 and 11 may be pressed simultaneously, and it is incorporated in an electronic device. It is also possible to obtain a continuous output by processing of a control device such as a CPU.
[0037]
Furthermore, as another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the pressing protrusion 12 may always be in contact with the upper insulating sheet 6 even when there is no operation.
[0038]
In any of the above embodiments, a plurality of pressing protrusions 12 per one upper contact 11 are provided on the upper insulating sheet 6. However, for the purpose of reducing production costs, the upper insulating sheet 6 and the operation sheet 8 are not provided. Depending on the selection, the linear switch 71 shown in FIG. 13 having a structure in which one pressing protrusion 72 is provided per one upper contact 11 may be used. The pressing protrusion 72 can also be formed on the operation sheet 8 by applying a resin or the like to be the pressing protrusion 12 with a dispenser or printing using a screen printing method or a PAD printing method.
[0039]
Further, the linear switch 81 shown in FIG. 14 which does not have the pressing portion 3 of the linear switch 1 shown in FIG.
[0040]
In the example shown in the above embodiment, the contacts 10 and 11 are arranged in a straight line. However, the contacts 10 and 11 may be arranged in an arc shape or an arc shape having one or more corners. it can.
[0041]
EXAMPLES Next, although this invention is demonstrated further in detail based on an Example, this invention is not limited to these Examples.
[0042]
【Example】
Example 1 (FIG. 1): The inner diameters of the lower spacer (5) and the upper spacer (7) are 40 mm along the longitudinal direction and 6 mm along the lateral direction. A linear switch (1) shown in FIG. 1 having five upper contacts (11) was produced. The thicknesses of the upper insulating sheet (6) and the operation sheet (8) were both 75 μm, and the thicknesses of the lower spacer (5) and the upper spacer (7) were 70 μm and 110 μm, respectively. The ON load of the linear switch (1) is 0.19 N (average value), and the deflection amount of the operation sheet (8) (operation stroke: when the operation sheet is not pressed and when the contact is turned on by being pressed) The movement width in the vertical direction of the operation sheet surface) was 80 μm (average value). This linear switch (1) did not cause a contact short, and the ON load was a low value. Furthermore, the upper contact (11) and the lower contact (10) are steadily contacted and turned on according to the movement of the finger by lightly stroking the surface of the linear switch (1), which is excellent in operability and reliability. It was.
[0043]
Example 2 (FIG. 8): The same material as in Example 1 is used except that the lower spacer (5) used in Example 1 has three upper contacts (11). The linear switch (21) shown in FIG. The ON load of the linear switch (21) was 0.19 N (average value), and the deflection amount (operation stroke) of the operation sheet (8) was 80 μm (average value). This linear switch (21) did not cause contact short-circuiting and had a low ON load. Furthermore, the surface of the linear switch (21) is lightly stroked, and each upper contact (11) and each lower contact (10) are steadily contacted and turned on according to the movement of the finger, thus providing excellent operability and reliability. It was.
[0044]
Example 3 (FIG. 10): Using the same material as in Example 2 except that a dot spacer (4a) is provided on the lower insulating sheet (4) used in Example 2 together with the lower contact electrode (10). A linear switch (41) shown in FIG. 10 having the same size was produced. The ON load of the linear switch (41) was 0.19 N (average value), and the deflection (operation stroke) of the operation sheet (8) was 80 μm (average value). This linear switch (41) did not cause a contact short circuit, and the ON load was a low value. Furthermore, the surface of the linear switch (41) is lightly stroked, and each upper contact (11) and each lower contact (10) is steadily contacted and turned on according to the movement of the finger, and is excellent in operability and reliability. It was.
[0045]
Example 4 (FIG. 11): Instead of the lower spacer (5) used in Example 1, a lower spacer (32) having a structure for partitioning each contact (10, 11) is used, and the upper part of the operation sheet (8) is used. A linear switch (51) shown in FIG. 11 having the same size as that of Example 1 was prepared using the same material as that of Example 1 except that a double-sided tape was bonded to provide a key top (52). This linear switch (51) did not cause a contact short circuit, and the ON load was a low value as in Example 1. Furthermore, the surface of the linear switch (51) is lightly stroked, and each upper contact (11) and each lower contact (10) is steadily contacted and turned on according to the movement of the finger, and is excellent in operability and reliability. It was.
[0046]
Example 5 (FIG. 12): In Example 1, except that the pressing protrusion (12) is always in contact with the upper insulating sheet (6), the same materials as those in Example 1 were used. The linear switch (61) shown in FIG. 12 having the same size was produced. This linear switch (61) did not cause a contact short circuit, and the ON load was a low value as in Example 1. Furthermore, the surface of the linear switch (61) is lightly stroked, and each upper contact (11) and each lower contact (10) is steadily contacted and turned on according to the movement of the finger, and is excellent in operability and reliability. It was.
[0047]
Example 6 (FIG. 13): A linear switch (71) having the configuration shown in FIG. 13 was produced. In this linear switch (71), the pressing end (72a) of one pressing projection (72) has a cross section of the same size as the cross section of one upper contact (11), and one upper contact (11 A pressing protrusion (72) is formed so as to be opposed to the other. Except for the portion of the pressing protrusion (72), the other portions are the same as in the first embodiment. According to the linear switch (72), the ON load is large and the operation is heavy as compared with the linear switch (1) of the first embodiment, but continuous output can be obtained by pressing the finger to stroke it sideways. I was able to.
[0048]
Example 7 (FIG. 14): A linear switch (81) having the configuration shown in FIG. 14 was produced. The linear switch (81) has a configuration in which the pressing portion (3) is excluded from the linear switch (1) shown in the first embodiment, that is, a configuration in which the pressing protrusion and the operation sheet do not exist. ) Is equivalent to the base (2) only. According to this linear switch (81), the ON load is large and the operation is heavy as compared with the linear switch (1) of the first embodiment, but a continuous output is obtained by pressing the finger so as to stroke it sideways. I was able to.
[0049]
【The invention's effect】
According to the linear switch of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a continuous output following the operation of a finger or the like only by performing an operation such as stroking with a light touch. In particular, the switch input device can be reduced in size and thickness, the load for turning on the switch is reduced, and not only the output followability to the input operation is excellent, but also in a curved position. A linear switch that does not cause contact short-circuiting even when mounted is obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a linear switch according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a sectional view taken along line SA-SA in FIG.
FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a linear switch according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a linear switch according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a state where a linear switch according to an embodiment of the present invention is pressed.
FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a state where a linear switch according to an embodiment of the present invention is pressed.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state where a linear switch according to an embodiment of the present invention is pressed.
FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a state where a linear switch according to an embodiment of the present invention is pressed.
FIG. 8 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a linear switch according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a linear switch according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a linear switch according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a linear switch according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a linear switch according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a linear switch according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a linear switch according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1, 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71, 81 Linear switch
2 base
3 Pressing part
4 Lower insulation sheet
4a Dot spacer
5,32 Lower spacer
5a, 32a accommodation opening
32b Separation part
6 Upper insulation sheet
7 Upper insulation sheet
8 Operation sheet
9 Case
10 Lower contact
10A-10E First to fifth lower contacts
11 Upper contact
11A to 11E First to fifth upper contacts
12,72 Pressing protrusion
12A-12E First to fifth pressing protrusions
12a, 72a Pressing end
13 Switch circuit
52 key top

Claims (7)

A lower insulating sheet in which a plurality of lower contacts are arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction, an upper insulating sheet in which upper contacts corresponding to each lower contact are arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction, and the upper insulating sheet and the lower insulating sheet a spacer separating the upper contacts and the lower contacts in an electrically insulated state by intervening a pressing protrusion for pressing an upper insulating sheet provided with a upper insulating sheet is pressed along the direction of arrangement of the contact Then , the upper contact and the lower contact sequentially contact, a linear switch that generates a continuous change as the output of a predetermined device ,
The spacer is formed in a ring shape that surrounds all of the upper and lower contacts from the outside,
The pressing protrusions are arranged on the flexible operation sheet so that a plurality of pressing protrusions correspond to one upper contact along the arrangement direction of the upper contacts, and
A linear switch in which a separation portion that separates adjacent contacts from each other is provided at a position that is not pressed by the pressing protrusion in the ring of the spacer, and an elastic key top is provided on the operation sheet. 2. The linear switch according to claim 1, wherein the key top is formed by laminating double-sided tape. The linear switch according to claim 1, wherein the separation portion is provided at a height that is higher than the lower contact and does not reach the upper insulating sheet. The linear switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pressing end portion of the pressing protrusion is formed apart from the upper insulating sheet, and the pressing end portion of the pressing protrusion and the upper insulating sheet are in contact with each other during the pressing operation. . The linear switch according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a pressing end portion of the pressing protrusion is formed with an area smaller than that of the upper contact. The linear switch according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a base end portion of the pressing protrusion is formed with an area smaller than that of the upper contact. The mounting structure of the linear switch which mounts the linear switch of any one of Claims 1-6 in the location where the curved curve of the housing | casing of the electronic device was applied.

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